Age of Wonders: Planetfall is a foray away from the fantasy setting of the previous Age of Wonders games into science fiction. Still, they retain the unique, endearing factions of the other games, this time repurposed for a world where humans have evolved into the far future. But with so many different factions, who should you play as? This guide should help you decide who to play as in Age Of Wonders: Planetfall.

The Vanguard

The Vanguard are the basic faction. They’re familiar, simple to use. They have mechanics that you might have seen in other strategy games. Visually, they’re your standard army guys, updated for the space age. They’re every space marine squad.

They don’t have to stay basic though. The standard trooper might be your average grunt at first, but you can mod their gear with a jetpack or mod the trooper itself with an alien virus. That way you can keep them relevant in the late game and adjust them to meet your enemies’ threats head-on.

Play as the Vanguard if:

You like XCOM

You’re new to the game

You want an adaptable faction in the late game

The Syndicate

The Syndicate are the space aristocracy of the former Star Union. They are a nasty bunch, with indentured troops trapped in cycles of debt. They specialize in cloak-and-dagger tactics, and excel at sneaking into just the right place to put a knife in their enemies’ backs. Failing that, they also use plenty of lightning weapons and psionics.

Play as the Syndicate if:

You want the fancy life of a mafia don

You want to play a sneaky backstabbing faction

You want to subjugate others in nasty ways

The Assembly

The Assembly are clones, originally developed by a company to test body augmentations. Left to their own devices, they learned to use their augmentations to fight, and eventually learned to take pieces from their enemies and incorporate them into themselves.

Now they live as cyborgs. Some are humanoid, some are just a brain controlling a machine. Some have “mounts,” giant mech suits controlled by Assembly units. They are the ultimate recyclers, rampaging over their enemies and taking their parts.

Play as the Assembly if:

You think Star Trek's Borg aren't really the bad guys

You want the ability to heal using the bodies of your enemies

You want to raise your dead soldiers to fight again

Amazon

The Amazons were originally bioengineers who modified their surroundings to suit their needs. Now they are warriors who live in tune with the nature that they created. They removed men from their species, terraformed the planet they were on, and genetically altered the animals nearby to fight for them.

They can change the environment around them to their advantage and their enemies’ detriment. They move through thick forests easily and spawn predators to scatter their enemies. Also, they have dinosaurs with lasers attached to them.

Play as Amazons if:

You want to play a nature-themed faction

You want to manipulate your surroundings to suit your needs

You want a dinosaur with lasers on it

Kir’Ko

The Kir’Ko were insectoid slaves that were freed when the Star Union collapsed. Now they have a choice, to reconcile with their former masters or to rain retribution on those who mistreated them.

Their armies consist mainly of melee units that gain a defensive bonus when they group near each other. They can attack by spitting acid vomit at their enemies and melting their defenses, and have specialized units that can fly or burrow deep into enemy territory.

Play as the Kir’Ko if:

You like the Zerg in Starcraft

You want to decide between forgiveness or revenge

You want a faction with unique unit tactics

Dvar

The Dvar were stranded on a deserted planet and forced to dig underground, creating specialized suits for survival. Now they are an industrious people, building factories and manufacturing high-tech weapons to survive and expand.

They use heavy weapons with lots of armor, including tanks and artillery. They can even manipulate the land around them, creating or destroying mountain ranges to their advantage.

Play as the Dvar if:

You want to play as space dwarves

You want to use lots of explosives

You want to take on huge construction projects

No matter who you pick, make sure you’re ready to dominate your opponents and claim the planet for yourself.